There’s nothing like it.
You may not give a damn about the GAA, but you definitely give a damn about getting a day off school. You may live for the GAA, and then these days are the ones you lived for in the school calendar.
Knockout schools GAA. A heaving crowd with young and old faces. The cream of every school’s crop. Teachers going nuts in the stands or on the sideline.
Lads dying in their boots for the school crest. Lads dying for their teammates beside them even though they’re from the rival club from the next parish.
It could be the youngster in the stands dreaming of emulating his heroes and making it on to the team next year. It could be the youngster who just loves the buzz of it all.
It’s a roller-coaster ride, is schools GAA, and you only get one or two tickets. Because schools GAA is as fleeting as it is magic, maybe that’s what makes it magic, because when it’s the morning of a schools GAA game, there sure as hell won’t be any work done until that bus takes off on the windy, exciting road to the pitch.
It’s groundhog day.
Because there’s a place in schools GAA for everyone. The players are the hottest ticket in town, but even classmates who don’t partake will get involved. They’ll be on the phones awaiting updates in the early rounds. If the team are good enough to progress to the latter stages, they’ll be roaring the stadium down in support.
And if the team go on a roll and set-up another day out, the cycle just starts again. Anticipation, buzz, game day.
School isn’t school for the day. It’s a day for the GAA.
Schools GAA games took place in grounds all over the country on Wednesday, from Rathdowney to Charleville and from Waterford I.T to Carlow.
The Harty Cup, the Munster senior schools hurling championship is one of the most ferociously fought out school competitions of all. So much so that it often means more to the schools competing than the All-Ireland or the Croke Cup.
Christian Brother’s College Cork took on local rivals St. Colman’s College Fermoy in the quarter final of the Munster post primary hurling competition in Carrigoon.
The Fermoy secondary school have won the competition nine times. CBC, more famed for their rugby teams, are nowhere near as prolific.
They were fired up for this one, though, with their vocal support creating a rousing atmosphere before throw-in, as seen in Lisa Lawlor’s video.
Making an entrance!!! The CBC Supporters announce their arrival as the game throws in… #HartyCup pic.twitter.com/TfV6ZzrRhk
— Lisa Lawlor (@Lisa_Lawlor) January 10, 2018
The team responded, beating the hot favourites by four points.
CBC 1-17 St Colman's 1-13 (FT)
— Denis Hurley (@Denis_Hurley) January 10, 2018
Just imagine the buzz on the bus home now.
Meanwhile, Reigning Harty and Croke Cup champions – Tipperarys school Our Lady’s Templemore only just came out alive with an injury time winner downing John the Baptist Community School, Hospital.
Perennial competitors Thurles CBS were knocked out, while Limerick’s leaders Ard Scoil Rís are still standing.
Dr. Harty Cup Quarter-Final Results
Ardscoil Ris 3-20 Gaelcholaiste Mhuire AG 1-5
CBC Cork 1-17 St Colmans 1-13
Our Lady’s Templemore 1-14 JTB Hospital 0-16
Midleton CBS 0-15 Thurles CBS 1-11— Munster GAA / Comhairle na Mumhan (@MunsterGAA) January 10, 2018
And here’s the semi-final draws.
Dr. Harty Cup Semi-Final Draw
Ardscoil Ris v CBC Cork
Our Lady’s Templemore v Midleton CBS
Matches fixed for Saturday January 27th— Munster GAA / Comhairle na Mumhan (@MunsterGAA) January 10, 2018
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